Dreams Before Money
by LittleGiant
Summary: Tom Nook and Sable grew up together. But Tom's failure to realize his big city dreams tore their relationship apart. Now all they have is their memories of the past.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Animal Crossing. No infringement is intended. I just wanted to play around a little bit with Nintendo's world- Tom Nook and Sable's story was just begging to be fleshed out!

**Note:** This is based on Wild World, so Label (LaBelle) doesn't exist. I felt like they kind of shoehorned her into City Folk, so she's not a part of this story!

Dreams Before Money

Part I: Prologue

0000

He's right next door, but he might as well still be in the city. Sometimes I think that's where he is anyway, because that's where he lost his heart. His blue eyes are now sad and dim, like the streetlights in the city that eventually burn out. Streetlights burn out all of the time, and someone always comes along to change them, to make them shine again. But I don't know how to change Tom Nook back to the person I once knew. His eyes used to sparkle, and his head was filled with a million dreams. A purer soul the world never knew.

That Tom Nook doesn't exist anymore. Now he's cold and distant, and he works from morning to night making an ever-increasing pile of bells that I know he'll never enjoy for himself. Pelly told me every day he just deposits and deposits, and never makes a withdrawal.

But once, years ago, he was my best friend, the one person in the world who I trusted more than I trusted myself. I loved him with a fierce kind of loyalty that still to this day scares me. Every day I miss him- the long talks we used to have, the dreams we shared. His dreams were so important to him, and they were important to me too. "Dreams before money," he would always say, and he would look at me with shining eyes like I was a part of his heart...

He's right next door, so close that I could walk over in less than a minute. But instead I stay at my sewing machine, working on my latest pattern. He's forgotten all about me anyway. The only thing in his heart these days is money. Dreams don't matter to Tom Nook anymore.

0000

It's a slow night at the store, which I always hate. An empty store gives me too much time to think about things I'd rather not remind myself of. I try to keep busy with sweeping, rearranging the merchandise, dusting shelves, wiping the windows. But it doesn't help. All I can think about is what a mess I've made out of my life, and how even though I'm living out the dream I always said I wanted, I'm not sure that this is really what I dreamed about at all. Maybe I was dreaming of something else, and I just didn't know it. Or maybe I did know, but I was too afraid to admit it.

Ever since I can remember I've wanted to go into business, make a name for myself. It was my passion, or maybe my obsession. I wanted to get out of the sleepy little town I had grown up in, go into the city, and become somebody important. And yet, all I can think about is her face, with the soft freckled fur across the bridge of her nose, and her sweet, shy smile. I _was_ somebody important to her, but that was long ago.

"Dreams before money," I would always say, and she would smile. The city taught me how foolish my idealism really was. When I returned to town, I was crushed over losing everything. She tried to cheer me up, telling me that I could still have my dreams, even if I didn't have any money. One day I got so fed up with her I snapped and said, "Dreams are nothing in the face of money!"

She walked away from me that day, and things haven't been the same between us since. Losing Sable was worse than losing all of my money in the city. Bells I have by the bagful, but I'll never have a friend like her again. My dream is lost, broken through my own selfishness.

I wish I could tell her that I'd give every last bell I have if only we could be friends again.


	2. The Marble

Dreams Before Money

Part I:

1. The Marble

0000

January is always the hardest month for me, I think. It was in January, years ago now, that Tom and I ended our friendship. Or I suppose I should say, it was in January that he broke my heart. And no amount of sewing can mend a broken heart. Believe me, I know.

I can still remember him when he came back from the city: an empty shell of the pure-hearted raccoon that he had once been. How I had tried so hard to talk him down from the ledge he had found himself on. How quiet he was when he returned, so unlike him, with his big dreams and his even bigger heart. One January night, it all ended between us. I was talking to him, trying to remind him about his dreams, and how he shouldn't give up, even if he had lost all of his money. "What's money, anyway, Tom?" I remember saying to him. "You always said that dreams came before money, remember?"

I remember how he looked at me, his eyes flashing with something I had never seen there before. "Dreams are nothing in the face of money!" he yelled, and my face crumpled, because I could feel the hatred behind his words.

I ran. I didn't even care that it was the middle of winter, and I was leaving my coat behind. I just knew that I had to get away from him. I ran through the snow in nothing but my apron, let myself into the apartment my younger sister Mabel and I shared, flung myself onto the couch, and cried. I lost my best friend that night, and every day I miss him more.

My eyes drift towards the small cedar box on the dresser. I know I shouldn't let the locked up memories out again. But every year I go through this, and every year I wind up giving in. Mabel always wonders about the box- why I keep it locked, and what's inside of it. She doesn't really remember how close Tom and I were, because she was still pretty young when he headed for the city. Sometimes I want to tell her, but something always holds me back. I guess I feel like if I tell someone I'll have to face what happened, and I've been running from it for a long time now. It's easier to do that, if no one knows except me.

I take the key out of the front pocket of my apron. Mabel is off with one of her friends for the night, so I'm alone. I pull the box off the dresser and bring it back to the bed with me. My paws shake as I fit the key into the lock, and I at last open the box. The scent of cedar and old paper fills my nostrils, and I lean forward, taking a good whiff.

The first thing I pull out of the box is an old marble, which shines in the light. I turn it back and forth in my paws, tapping the glass with my claws, admiring the whirl of bright colors playing across its surface.

0000

Mabel is two years old, and I just turned twelve. I'm working in my parent's sewing shop, The Able Family Shop. My mom is a seamstress, and she makes the most beautiful clothing I've ever seen. I could sit and watch her work at her old sewing machine for hours, listening to the whir of the needle going up and down as she presses lightly on the pedal with her feet. My dad takes care of the business end of the shop, balancing the books and counting the money in the register. And me? Well, I just help out wherever I can. Sometimes my mom even lets me play around with the sewing machine, which is always a treat for me.

The bell above the door jingles, and my dad comes in with a brown bag. I jump up and run to greet him, shouting, "Daddy!" I'm hoping that whatever's in that bag is something for me.

Dad laughs and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Well, hello there, sweetheart," he says, ruffling the spikes on my head. "How's business? Did we sell anything while I was gone?"

"No," I say, looking down at my shoes. "Mrs. Nook came in but I..."

"She ran and hid in the back, just like she always does," my mom calls out from her place behind the sewing machine. "Our shy little Sable." I know she isn't upset with me, and that she's only teasing, but it still hurts a little. Sometimes I hate being so shy.

Dad just smiles at me, and I feel a little better. "Well, what did Mrs. Nook want?" he asks my mom.

"Well, you know her son, Tom? He's maybe a year or two older than Sable. Anyway, apparently he wants to go into business for himself someday. She was hoping we might be willing to show him around, talk to him a little bit about what we do here, that kind of thing."

"Oh, yes," my dad replies, setting the mysterious brown bag down on the counter. "I remember Tom. He seems like a nice kid. I suppose that would be okay to let him come here for an hour or two."

Mom and Dad talk back and forth for a while, making arrangements. They call Mrs. Nook, and tell her that Tom can come over to the shop later in the afternoon. I'm not really paying much attention to that though. I want to know what's in that bag. But it seems like Dad has forgotten about it in all of the excitement about Tom Nook.

I don't know Tom all that well. Truthfully, because I'm so shy, I don't have many friends, and none of them are very close to me. I've seen him in town of course, and I know his parents, because they often buy their clothes at our shop. But my dad is right- he seems like a nice kid, anyway. He's thirteen years old, with bright blue eyes, and a long striped bushy tail. He always looks at me whenever we run into each other, his face serious, like he's sizing me up or something. But he never says anything to me, except maybe hello. I think he's a little shy too.

An hour later my mom goes up to our apartment to check and see if Mabel is awake from her nap. Sure enough, Mom returns a few minutes later with a sleepy-looking Mabel, her spikes all sticking up in every direction. She yawns, and Mom puts her down on the floor. Her eyes light up when she sees me, and she comes toddling towards me. "Hi, sissy!" she says, beaming up at me.

"Hey, Mabel," I say, swooping her up and giving her a kiss right on one of her round, rosy cheeks. She giggles, and I put her back down.

"Oh hey," my dad says. "That reminds me..." At last, he grabs the bag off the counter and opens it in front of Mabel. "I bought these for you today, Mabel."

Mabel squeals and claps her claws together when my dad dumps out a large pile of marbles. In spite of myself, I squeal too. I've always loved marbles- the beautiful colors, the soft clacking sound they make when you play, the cool weight of them in your paws.

"Daddy!" I say. "Did you bring any marbles for me?"

"Sable, you're too old for marbles now," my dad says.

And maybe he's right, but I don't really want to hear that. I start to cry, and then I grab all of Mabel's marbles, which makes her start crying too. Her shrieks pierce the air, but I still don't give the marbles back. It's not fair. I still like marbles too, and I should be allowed to play with them if I want to. I don't see why my dad has to be so mean about it. He never lets me have any fun.

Luckily there are no customers in the shop at the moment, but Dad is still furious with me. "Sable!" he yells, but I don't care. I put the marbles in my pocket and run out of the door, my face still streaked with tears. The worst part is, I run directly into Tom Nook, hitting him smack in the chest.

"Hey," he says, and I'm suddenly aware that his arm is touching my back. He smells nice, like a pine tree forest.

I pull away and look up, taking in his dark raccoon mask and pointed nose with whiskers on each side. "I... I'm sorry," I whisper, wiping at my face. My cheeks heat up the longer I look at him.

"What's wrong, hmm?" he asks. His eyes are kind and gentle, like his voice, and for a minute he holds his paw flat across my back before he takes it away.

In spite of myself, the whole story comes out. He pulls me down to sit beside him against the side of the shop, and I show him the marbles, burning a guilty hole in my pocket.

"How old are you now?" he asks me.

"I'm twelve," I say.

"_Twelve_?" he says. "That's not too old for marbles, hmm? I have a whole bagful of marbles at home and I'm thirteen. Your dad's just crazy!"

"Maybe," I say, looking down at my paws. "He just wants me to grow up, I think. So I can help more at the shop, and with my little sister..."

I can see him thinking for a minute, and then he reaches into his pocket. He holds a marble out to me, one of those big shooting ones with the swirls all over. "I thought I had one somewhere," he says, grinning at me. "Go on, take it. And we can give the others back to your sister, yes?"

The marble is warm from being in his paws, and its weight feels just right in my pocket. I nod, accepting the idea. He takes my paw and we walk into The Able Family shop together.


	3. The Rock

Dreams Before Money

Part I:  
2. The Rock

0000

After a long day at work, I'm in my apartment, getting ready for bed. I already have my pajamas on, and I sink back onto the couch in relief, thinking about turning on the TV for a while or maybe listening to one of K.K. Slider's latest tunes on my stereo. Today had been a long, hard day at the store. I work too much, I know I do. I tell everyone it's because of the bells I "need" to make, but that isn't the truth, although that's what I let them believe.

My eyes drift towards the pine box sitting on the coffee table. I live alone, and no one is allowed in my apartment, so I feel safe enough keeping it out like this. If anyone knew, if _she_ knew, what I had in there, well... let's just say I would probably have to pack up and slink out of town. I know what people say about me, what they think. Greedy, selfish Tom Nook, never satisfied with the bells he has, always wanting more, more, more. Sometimes, I even believe it.

Look at me. Mr. Big Success. Mr. Richest Guy in Town. What a joke. Mr. Failure is more like it. Mr. Most Pathetic Ever, that should be my name. I hate January, and I hate the memories it brings back. Even years later, they're still so clear, like looking into a mountain spring on a cool autumn day. Memories of my broken dreams. Memories of her, and how everything went wrong between us, but before that it was so _right_ it was damn near beautiful.

I open the box, and the sweet scent of pine fills the air. I open it, and my claws close around a little rock, smooth and cool in my paw. I pick up the rock, and just like that I start to remember...

0000

I'm out wandering around through the town with a net in my hand, looking for bugs to catch in the fields. Well, that's what it looks like I'm doing anyway, to anyone who happens to pass by. Really I'm deep in thought, going over the day's events in my mind. I met a girl today, a little younger than me. Oh sure, I'd seen her around town before, because everyone knows the Ables and their clothing shop, but I didn't really know much about her until today.

Earlier today my mom had arranged for me to visit The Able Family Shop, and I was pretty excited. I would get to talk to a real businessman, and learn more about the ins and outs of running a successful business. It was a great opportunity, and I wanted to make the most of it. I had prepared a list of questions that I wanted to ask and everything.

What I didn't expect was what happened just before I reached the shop. The Able's oldest daughter, Sable, came running out of the shop. She was so upset that she didn't see me coming, and she crashed right into me. I've always thought she was kind of cute, with her big brown eyes, and the freckles scattered across her nose. Porcupines have always fascinated me. They look so tough, with their spiky fur, but really they're the nicest animals when you take the time to get to know them.

She was crying about marbles of all things, so I calmed her down, and even gave her one of the marbles I had on me. What she doesn't know is that the marble I gave her was one of my favorites. But somehow, I don't mind that it's hers now.

Her parents showed me around the shop, and answered all of my questions. Sable tried to keep out of the way, and played with her little sister, Mabel, who was a toddler, maybe two years old. She was adorable, with her blue fur and pink cheeks, and I could see how much Sable loved her. I don't have any siblings myself, although I've always wanted a little brother.

After Mr. and Mrs. Able had finished with me for the day, I walked over to Sable. I usually wouldn't have been so bold, especially with her parents right there, but I wanted to at least say goodbye to her. "Bye, Sable," is what I said. It wasn't the most original thing to say, I admit, but at least it got the job done.

"Bye, Tom," she whispered, hardly daring to look at me. She's usually pretty shy, which is why I'm so amazed she actually opened up to me earlier.

"Bye-bye!" Mabel called, waving her fat little claws at me.

"Bye-bye," I said to Mabel, who blew me a kiss goodbye. And then I turned to Sable's parents and said, "Thank you for everything, Mr. and Mrs. Able."

"You're welcome to come back anytime to help out," Mrs. Able said. "Just have your mother call first, so we can watch for you."

I glanced over at Sable one more time. "That would be great," I said. "Thank you."

Now I'm sitting in the field with my net in hand watching the butterflies drift back and forth and I'm thinking about what a golden opportunity I have before me. I'm only thirteen years old, but I've always dreamed of opening up a successful business in the city. Mr. and Mrs. Able want me to stop by, learn some more from them. It could be exactly what I need to get ahead once I'm out on my own.

Not only that, but Sable Able's shy smile warms my heart like nothing else. And if I'm at the shop more, maybe she and I can become friends.

0000

A couple weeks pass by. I come by the shop a few more times, and Sable and I exchange greetings with each other. I always say, "Hey, Sable," as soon as I come in the door, and give her a soft smile. Her cheeks always turn a little pink and after a moment she says, "Hey, Tom," towards the floor.

But other than that, Mr. and Mrs. Able work me pretty hard, so I don't have much time to talk to her, until one afternoon when the store is fairly busy. Mr. and Mrs. Able are both waiting on customers, and Mabel is upstairs, taking her nap. Sable lurks in the doorway of the back room, unsure if she wants to venture out into the middle of the action.

"You live upstairs, hmm?" I ask her, hoping to get her talking.

"Um, yeah," she says in her soft voice. Her eyes are huge in her small face, and her paws tug at her pink checkered apron as she watches all of the customers browsing through the shop.

"You like living there?" I say after a moment.

"It's... you know, okay," she says, glancing at me to gauge my reaction. Before I can think about what I'm doing my paw slips into hers, which seems to give her the courage to continue. "Sometimes I wish we could live in a real house like everyone else, but I know my parents like being so close to the shop. It's easier for them, you know?"

I nod to show I understand. "I guess that makes sense. But when I have _my_ store I don't care. I'll have the biggest house in town, and I'll have a huge garden, filled with flowers, and I'll surround the whole thing with fruit trees. And I'll commute back and forth from the city every day, and everyone will be glad that I chose to live in town instead of in the city."

She laughs and looks at me with wide eyes. "You really have it all figured out, don't you?"

"Well, maybe not everything," I say, scratching the back of my head with my free paw. "But dreams are important, yes?"

"I guess," she says, wrinkling her brow. "But I'm afraid I don't have much time to dream."

"Oh, no no _no_!" I say. "That won't do, hmm?"

"Tom!" Mr. Able calls, and I nearly jump out of my fur because I completely forgot where we are and that I'm supposed to be working right now. "Can you come help me take Mr. Graham's measurements?"

I drop Sable's hand, but before I leave I say to her, "No, that really won't do, Sable."

0000

I find the perfect rock just outside her window. It's covered with dew, but it's small and flat, and I'm pretty sure it won't do any damage. I hoist it above my head, getting ready to throw it and then: "Tom?"

Her voice, high above my head, floats down to where I'm standing below. A light goes on and her face appears in the window.

"What are you doing?" she asks into the darkness below.

I put the rock in my pocket, as if that's going to do anything, and then I say, "Nothing! I just... uh, you know..."

She's wearing one of those white nightgowns with the lace around the collar, and it's making me all tongue-tied. I clear my throat and try again. "I mean, uh... I was wondering if you'd like to go somewhere with me?"

She looks around and says, "Now?"

"Please?" I say, giving her my most charming grin. "It's important."

She sighs, and I can see her thinking about it. After a few seconds she says, "Well, okay. Hold on, let me just make sure my parents are asleep. If they are, I'll come out, okay?"

"Okay," I call back up to her, and the light goes off in her room.

While I wait I touch the rock in my pocket, running my claws over the smooth surface, turning it over in my paws. I've never snuck out at night before. I've never had anyone to sneak out _with_, so I didn't see much point to it. But the thought of going out somewhere with Sable in the middle of the night when we should have been sleeping, well, it was just too exciting an adventure for me to pass up. Besides, I'm sick of not being able to talk to her, because we're always supposed to be working when we're together.

I hear her before I see her, feet swishing through the little vegetable garden planted behind the shop. "Hey, Sable," is all I can think of to say when she reaches my side, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I wish she would have kept the nightgown.

"Hey, Tom," she replies, ducking her head and giving me her trademark shy smile. And this time, her paw finds mine in the darkness.

We're totally alone, and her paw is unbelievably soft and warm. "Walk with me," I say with a confidence I'm not quite sure I really feel.

"Okay," she whispers.

So we walk along together, side by side. She's close enough for me to breathe in her scent: cedar, like the chest up in the attic that once belonged to my grandmother. Both of us are quiet, and I'm not sure what to say or what to do. Crickets chirp in the fields behind the shops in town, and if it wasn't for the full moon shining in the cloudless sky, it would be completely dark. We're the only ones who are still awake, or at least, it sure seems that way as we walk down the deserted paths. All I know is I like having her next to me, holding my paw. I like listening to her steady breathing, in and out beside me. I even like that we don't have to talk, that we can just be together without saying anything, and it's still good.

On the outskirts of town is an old, abandoned mansion that belonged to one of the town's founders years ago. Most people in town don't even know about it... or maybe they do, but they don't really care. I discovered it on one of my walks a couple of months ago, hidden in a grove of trees, and it's always fun to explore when I have the time. It's not dangerous or anything. In spite of being empty for so long, it's fairly well maintained, as if someone is still caring for it, although I don't know who or why, because it's obvious no one has lived here for quite some time.

"Wow," Sable says when she sees the old house rising up in the moonlight like a queen. It's the first time either of us has spoken in at least ten minutes. "Where are we?"

"This," I say, with a sweeping bow, "is the future estate of Mr. Thomas E. Nook, the world famous entrepreneur. Amazing, yes?"

She giggles. "Oh Tom," she says. "You can't seriously think you'll live _here_."

"Yes, yes!" I say, laughing along with her. "I have it all figured out. Back there will be the swimming pool, hmm? And to the right I'll have those gardens I was telling you about, yes? And just imagine all of the fruit trees I'll plant here, someday. Fruit everywhere in the summer- beautiful, yes?"

"You know," Sable says, as we circle the house to get a better look. "With a new coat of paint, and a few little repairs, this place would be _amazing_."

"Of course it will! Only the finest for Mr. Nook," I say, and I'm only half joking.

"And maybe... maybe you'll need someone to make the curtains? I can sew, only a little right now, but when I'm older, I want..." And she stops, looking down at her hastily thrown on sneakers, which are now covered with bits of grass.

"What do you want, Sable?" I ask her. "You can tell me. I won't laugh, I swear."

She takes a deep breath and says, "I want to make really cute clothes, the cutest ever." The words come out all in a rush, but I still understand them, and I'm thrilled that she trusts me enough to share something like that with me. "I want to sew all kinds of cute things, just like my mom does."

"You can sew every one of my curtains," I say. "You can make my clothes, or design my furniture. You can do whatever you want, Sable. It's all about dreams, hmm?"

"I, um... never had anyone say that to me before," she says, and I'm surprised to see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Thank you, Tom. _Thank you_."

Her paw is still folded in mine, and I want to run my claws over it, but I don't dare. I've already been far too bold with her, and even though sharing my dreams is easy for me, sharing how I _feel_ is a lot harder. So instead I simply say, "Yes, yes," and hope that she knows she's my girl and she always will be.


	4. Photograph

Dreams Before Money

Part I:

3. Photograph

0000

I sigh as I place the marble back inside the cedar box. It's still as bright as it was the day I received it, close to twenty years ago. Tom was so sweet back then. I wish he had held onto that sweetness. I can't imagine the Tom Nook of today offering anyone a marble without expecting them to pay for it.

If only he knew how much it meant to me that he gave me that marble... how much it meant to me that he showed me that it was okay to dream. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for him. I don't think he even realizes how much of an impact he had on me back then.

I continue to paw through the box. The next thing that catches my eye is an old photograph, a smaller version of the family portrait that hangs in the shop downstairs. Mabel is three years old, and I'm thirteen. I wince at the zit on my nose- no one else usually notices it except for me, but I know it's there and it always drives me crazy. Even at my age, I still get zits from time to time if I'm not careful. If I miss even one day of washing my face...

Anyway, I don't want to think about my bad skin right now. I look down at the picture, tracing my parents' smiling faces with my claws. Unlike the marble, it's faded and worn with age, but I'll never throw it out. My dad has one arm around my mom, and they're standing behind me. I'm holding Mabel in my lap, and we're both wearing matching outfits. Mom takes after Mabel, with her blue fur, but she has freckles, like me. I inherited my dad's brown fur, and Mabel has my dad's round, rosy cheeks. Even after all these years I miss them terribly.

Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like for Mabel and me if they hadn't died so young. Would I still have taken over the shop? Or perhaps I would have been free to join Tom in the city? Maybe if I had come along with him, he wouldn't have returned so broken-hearted. I suppose I'll never know, but I do wonder what it would have been like, he and I together in the big city. What kinds of adventures would we have gone on? What kind of life would we have lived together? Where would I be today?

Those first few days after my parents died it was like I was swimming in the ocean with fog surrounding me in every direction. When I look back at those days, I don't quite remember where I was or what I was doing. I remember people gathering together in the shop, paying their sympathies, bringing food, watching Mabel. I was there, but at the same time I wasn't. My mind was filled with all kinds of worries and fears that no young girl should have to think about, and I was dealing with losing my parents on top of that.

Only when Tom showed up did things start to turn around for me... I'll never forget how incredible he was that day.

0000

I stare down at my shoes, scuffing them along the floor. I'm surrounded by what feels like a hundred people, but I'm not paying attention to any of them. They talk in hushed whispers, giving me sidelong glances full of sympathy. My black dress itches, and somewhere in the background Mabel's crying, but Mrs. Nook takes her and she finally quiets.

Two days ago my parents died in a terrible accident. I'm thirteen years old, with a three year old sister, and I have no other family. My parents had the foresight to make a will, so I'll at least inherit the shop and the apartment upstairs, but I only know how to sew a little, and I'm not very good yet.

I feel so small and young. I don't know anything about running a business. My dad always wanted to teach me, but he hadn't gotten around to it yet. And now he's gone. They're both gone. And I don't know what I'm going to do, how Mabel and I will survive. If only I was even just a little older, it would be easier. Thirteen is barely old enough to work legally in this town, and it's definitely not old enough to run an entire household.

One thing I know for sure, I won't let them separate us. I won't let anyone take Mabel. I'll figure out a way to make it work, so we can stay together. I'll do whatever I need to do, even if I'm not sure what exactly that is yet.

"Hey, Sable." Tom's gentle voice is a welcome break from all of the swirling uncertainty surrounding me. "How are you, hmm?"

He steps beside me and the next thing I know I'm crying into his chest and clutching his shoulders. After a moment's hesitation his arms wrap around me and he rocks me back and forth with a tuneless hum, like I'm a little girl Mabel's age. Relief washes over me and I relax, letting him comfort me. Tom doesn't usually let go like this, so I'm extra touched that he's trying so hard to make everything easier for me.

"Shh," he whispers. "Sable, it's okay. We'll figure something out, I promise."

Once I calm down a little he pulls me away from everyone. We go outside, into the vegetable garden. I lean into him, needing to be close. "I miss them so much," I say.

"Yes, yes... of course you do," he says. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to _my_ parents."

"What am I going to do, Tom? I want to run the shop, but I don't know anything about business!"

"My dear Sable, do you forget who you're talking to, hmm? Mr. Business is here, at your service! Your dad taught me a few things. I can help you, if you'll let me."

I look into his kind blue eyes and smile for the first time in days. "Oh, Tom! Do you really think you can help? I don't want them to take Mabel away. She's my sister, and she's all I have now. I can't lose her too."

He wraps his arms around me again, enveloping me in his now familiar pine forest scent. "We won't let that happen," he says, his breath warm against my ear. He dares to caress the spikes along my back, and I shiver. "I'll help you however I can."

Before I can stop myself I respond to his touch by stroking the fine, soft fur at the nape of his neck, and he sighs into my shoulder. I pull away so I can see his face, but as usual he doesn't betray any hint of emotion. If it wasn't for that sigh he let escape, and his paws still working across my back, I would never know how he feels by looking at him now.

We've been friends for over a year now and I know his ways. He won't say it, won't even act like it half of the time, but I know he's happy with me, and that he loves me. He's the best friend I've ever had, and he always watches out for me, kind of like a big brother, but not at the same time. We tell each other everything. And at that moment I love him so much that I begin to feel a little afraid. It's too deep sometimes, what Tom and I share. It's too deep, and sometimes I think we'll both drown someday, if we don't swim back to safer waters.

"Yes," he says. "I can see it now. The Able Sisters Shop, a fine establishment. With the cutest clothes ever, yes?" he teases me, and I laugh, in spite of everything.

I step out of his embrace, and stand looking at him, hoping he knows how grateful I am to have him here with me, even if I can't come right out and say it. "It'll be okay," he says.

And I believe him. I think I would trust Tom Nook with my life if I had to.


	5. Home

Dreams Before Money

Part I: 4. Home

0000

I push away the rock, not wanting to look at it anymore. Why do I torture myself like this? Why can't I just be happy with my money and forget everything else?

But am I really happy with my money? I look around at the sparsely furnished apartment, which looks more like a poor student's place than a rich, successful businessman's. I live above my store, like the Able sisters do. But do I _really_ live here? I have to admit that I'm not sure that I do. It's a place I come back to after work, a place to sleep and cook my meals, but that's about as far as it goes. It's not a home in any sense of the word.

My mind drifts again to that old house, still sitting empty on the edge of town. I remember how I used to dream about living there someday. I had everything all worked out, down to the smallest detail. I spent hours imagining how I would fix the place up, what kind of furniture it would have, where everything would go. I would think about the parties I would throw, and how the whole house would be filled with laughter and food and friends.

And sometimes, I would even dream of _her_, living there with me, the two of us growing old together. But that was one dream I always kept to myself. And now I wonder, why did I? Why couldn't I just tell her, show her, do something, so she would know what she meant to me? What she still means to me.

I try to tell myself it doesn't matter. Bells come before dreams now. I already went through the heartbreak of losing everything once. I won't risk it a second time.

But even so, for the first time in a long time I wish... I just wish I could see that house again. And I let myself dream, only for a second, of walking through the snow down the deserted path. I still know the way. How many times did I walk it in my youth? It must have been thousands.

My eyes slide towards the rock again. If only I could throw it at her window one more time. If only I hadn't let her go.

0000

It's a sweet summer twilight, and in the distance fireflies twinkle in the darkening day. The peepers call back and forth to each other, and the air starts to cool as the sun slips below the horizon. I'm sitting on the roof of the old house, watching the stars fill the brilliant purple sky. Sable is supposed to meet me here later, but I decided to come a little early. I guess I just wanted a little time to myself, to think and dream...

So many things have changed since two summers ago, when I first brought her here. Late last year, her parents both died, and she had to grow up pretty quickly after that. She now runs her parents' shop, which has been renamed The Able Sisters. The hours are more limited than they were when her parents were alive, but she still puts in a full day's work every day, and she often stays up into the night sewing and designing new clothes to sell. On top of that, she raises Mabel, even though she's only fourteen years old. Mabel sometimes gets mixed up and calls her "Mommy", which is crazy if you ask me. But Mabel doesn't really remember their parents, so to her, Sable is like her mom.

I've been helping her out at the shop whenever I can. Sable isn't very good with the customers, so if I'm there, I try to deal with them and just let her work at her sewing machine. And I've been teaching her everything that Mr. Able told me about business, before he died, plus whatever I've managed to cobble together on my own. And sometimes my parents take Mabel for the weekend, to give her a little break. As a matter of fact, Mabel's sleeping over at my house tonight, so I asked Sable to meet me here after she finished up at the shop.

Summer has always been my favorite time of year. I love the warm breezes that drift across the fields, and the long, sunny days filled with blue skies and those white puffy clouds that look like tufts of cotton. In the summer there's always a million different things to do: fishing, bug catching, gardening, climbing trees. You name a summer activity and I've probably done it. Sometimes I even like to laze around in the backyard hammock, dreaming up names for my store. At the moment I'm leaning towards Nook's Cranny. The play on words amuses me, if nothing else.

I can do all these things, but Sable can't. She's always working now. I spend as much time with her as I can, and like I said, I've been going by the store to help her, but I still have plenty of time to go my own way. I really don't know how she deals with all the extra pressure. She doesn't like to talk about it, since she's so quiet. And I don't want to push her, but I wonder sometimes, how is she really doing with all of this? I'm a year older than her, and I don't think _I_ could handle it.

She might not look like it, with her soft eyes and her small frame, but I think Sable Able is the strongest person I've ever seen.

"Tom?" her voice calls from below, bringing me back from my thoughts. "Are you on the roof again?"

"Yes, yes, of course! Where else would I be, hmm? The roof is the best place to watch the sunset!"

She comes into view, the outlines of her spiky fur shining in the rapidly dying light. And in that moment I almost forget to breathe, because she looks like some kind of furry angel, if there is such a thing. She laughs at me and shakes her head. "One of these days that roof is going to cave in, you know," she says, but she's already halfway to the front door.

"You worry too much," I call back as she disappears underneath the eaves of the porch.

I hear the door creak open, and tilt my head back, checking out the stars. More of them fill the sky than there were a few minutes ago. I listen to her footsteps ease up the stairs, and tap across the old wooden floor. Without even turning around, I know exactly when she slides through the open bedroom window.

In another minute she settles herself beside me, close enough that our paws brush together. "Hey, Tom."

I shift my legs, and the tips of my claws cover hers. "Hey, Sable."

We're quiet for a while after that. She's a little out of breath from hurrying over here and having to climb up all those stairs. I don't really mind though. I lose myself in the stars, and in my dreams. In my mind I'm picturing going off to the city, which I want to do in another couple years when I turn 17 and am of age. I'm imagining marching up to the bank in my best suit and tie, with my business proposal in a smart leather briefcase, and how they'll all fawn over me and tell me I have the most brilliant mind for business they've ever seen. They'll say they'll give me a loan right on the spot, because I'm really that amazing, and because they know just from looking at me that my business will be a success. And of course they'll be right about that!

And after I've built everything up and become a household name, I'll return to town a hero. I'll return, and I'll sweep Sable off her feet. She won't be able to resist strong, handsome Tom Nook, with his expensive suits and flashy car. And we'll move into this house together, and she'll raise Mabel. She won't have to work anymore if she doesn't want to. If still wants to design, she can sell her clothes in my store, which will make her famous too.

I turn my head slightly so I can see her out of the corner of my eye. She looks exhausted, and her eyes are heavy-lidded. It makes me feel a little guilty. Here I am, wasting time daydreaming, while she's been working her tail off. "Are you okay?" I ask, nudging her shoulder.

She starts, and her eyes meet mine. "I'm all right," she says in a tone that doesn't inspire much confidence. "Just... tired, I guess."

"Long day, hmm?"

"They're _all_ long," she says with a sigh. She stretches, and the bones in her back creak like she's my mother's age instead of a teenage girl.

I rest my head against hers, and she leans into me. I wish there was something I could say, something I could do, to make everything better for her. But the only thing I have to offer her is my dreams.

"Hey," I say to her. "Did I tell you I came up with a name? What do you think of Nook's Cranny?"

She laughs, and swats me with her paw. "That is so you."

"Should I be insulted by that?"

She raises her head and looks at me. "No," she says, tracing my paw with her claws. "I like hearing about your dreams. At least one of us will make it out of here."

"You will too," I say, my words catching a little in my throat because I'm suddenly having a hard time concentrating. And once again I wish I could just come out and say everything I want to say to her, share my heart the way I share my dreams. "Just wait. I'll get you out, Sable. I promise."

Years later when I look back on that night I always wonder if I really believed that, or if I knew all along that it was a lie. And for the thousandth time I wish everything would have turned out differently.


End file.
